HBO & NY Latino Film Festival Announce Open Call for Entries

HBO and The New York International Latino Film Festival (NYILFF) today announced the annual "open call for entries" for the HBO/NYILFF Short Film Competition, where one grand prize winner will receive $15,000 in HBO funding to produce and direct an original-scripted short film. Jointly created in 2004, the competition seeks to foster films by Latino filmmakers and/or about the Latino experience. HBO has been the presenting sponsor of the New York International Latino Film Festival for the past 13 years.

In addition to the HBO funding, the grand prize winner will get support from an HBO creative executive who will serve as a mentor and consult during the production of the winning script to film. The completed short film will be exhibited during screenings at the New York International Film Festival, August 13-19, and will also be considered for broadcast on one of HBO's programming services.

The HBO/NYILFF Short Film Competition is open to U.S. and international entrants 18 years and older. Only original scripts will be accepted and must be written in English by a person of Latino descent or focus on the Latino experience, and entrant must hold all rights to the material. The screenplay cannot be more than twelve (12) pages long and final film cannot exceed a maximum running time of five (5) minutes. The submitted screenplay or work produced from it must not have had previous cable, broadcast or internet exhibition, won awards at any other festival or been previously submitted to the HBO/NYILFF Short Film Competition under its current or any former title.

Each entry must be accompanied by one completed submission form and $20.00 fee, a filmmaker bio and photo, a director's reel or copy of last film produced (DVD NTSC only), and one executed HBO/NYILFF Short Film Competition release form. There is no limit to the number of entries that can be submitted (see rules for more specifics). Entries must be received by May 18, 2012. Winning entry will be notified by June 22nd.

For official rules, regulations and submission forms, log on to www.nylatinofilm.com.

Last year's HBO/NYILFF Short Film Competition grand prize went to Dominic Colón, who produced and directed a short based on his original script Crush. Crush takes place in the South Bronx during Prom Night, where a young man is in for an evening filled with mixed emotions as he decides whether or not to man up and face his high school "crush" or punk out and let him walk away.

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Launched in 1999, the New York International Latino Film Festival (NYILFF) is now the premier Urban Latino film event in the country. The NYILFF's mission is to showcase the works of the hottest emerging Latino filmmaking talent in the U.S. and Latin America, offer expansive images of the Latino experience, and celebrate the diversity and spirit of the Latino community. Programming includes the flagship film festival in NYC, new music and art showcases, family and community events, scholarships for aspiring filmmakers, and a nationally recognized short film competition in partnership with HBO. The NYILFF is the only film event to have had the endorsement of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's NYC Latin Media and Entertainment Commission since its formation in 2003.